The New England Patriots haven't been trade-shy this offseason. The team most notably traded a first-round pick in 2028 for star wideout A.J. Brown, but they also made a move earlier in the offseason, moving on from Garrett Bradbury after the Bears sent a fifth-round selection their way. They also sent Marte Mapu to the Texans for a Day 3 pick swap.
During last season, the Patriots made a trio of trades as well. They traded former second-round pick Ja'Lynn Polk to the Saints in September and dealt both Kyle Dugger and Keion White before the deadline. Before the season even began, they traded Davon Godchaux as well.
Although the Patriots have already been quite active in the trade market, Eliot Wolf and Mike Vrabel are unlikely to steer away from a deal if they feel it's the right move. Recently, Alex Highsmith and Kayvon Thibodeaux have been mentioned as potential pass rush improvements.
Conversely, Kayshon Boutte and Pop Douglas could be traded if the team can add a pick to their cache. That means more trades could be on the way, even something more unusual in the NFL.
The Patriots could look to be involved in another trade
While far more common in the NBA, three-team trades have happened in the NFL. The most recent one of note happened in 2017, when the Bills, Rams, and Eagles dealt several notable players. When the dust settled, the Bills received a pair of top-100 picks and Jordan Matthews, the Rams acquired Sammy Watkins, and the Eagles added Ronald Darby.
While the deal was technically listed as a pair of separate transactions, it's the closest we've seen to a three-team trade in the modern era.
In a recent deal proposed by Mike Payton of A to Z Sports, the Patriots, Lions, and Saints joined efforts to complete one of the rare true three-team trades in history. In the deal, New England acquires Cesar Ruiz, the Lions acquire Eric Gregory and a seventh-round pick, and the Saints nab Avonte Maddox and a sixth-round pick.
The trade wouldn't make sense for the Patriots right now
While the Lions and Saints would have their own reasons to be interested in the deal, the Patriots shouldn't pull the trigger on a deal like this -- at least for now.
Last season, Cesar Ruiz ranked sixth among right guards in pressure rate allowed, with Patriots starter Mike Onwenu ranking second. He was, however, penalized a career-high four times in fourteen games played.
Ruiz has had a strong career, allowing a 4% pressure rate since the Saints selected him with the 24th overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. Nonetheless, the deal doesn't seem necessary for the Patriots to make at the moment.
For one, Ruiz is set to count for $14.2 million against the cap in each of the next two years, with a void year of nearly $4.8 million following. The team already has a better player in Onwenu at right guard, and gave Alijah Vera-Tucker a three-year deal to play on the left side this offseason.
Behind them, Ben Brown is a more than capable fill-in, while Andrew Rupcich has had a strong start to the summer.
While Ruiz has primarily played guard in his NFL career, he has 378 career snaps at center, a position at which he played nearly 1,800 snaps in college. Jared Wilson isn't a proven commodity at center, but the Patriots invested a third-round pick in him just a year ago. Once again, Brown is also a capable fill-in at the position.
Furthermore, New England parting with a pair of draft picks and a young defensive tackle to push the deal through makes little sense. The team lost Khyiris Tonga to free agency, and while Gregory will have to beat out Joshua Farmer and Leonard Taylor III for snaps, he could prove to be a valuable asset after averaging 19.4 snaps per matchup across his seven games played.
When would a trade for Cesar Ruiz make sense for the Patriots?
Making a move for Ruiz wouldn't be a bad idea; it would be wise to make the move closer to the beginning of the year.
For one, waiting would give the Patriots time to evaluate Vera-Tucker's health, who has missed a ridiculous 42 games since being drafted in 2021. It would also give the team the chance to see how Gregory has developed.
In the event that Vera-Tucker is not fully healthy and Gregory is overshadowed by players like Farmer and Taylor, than the move could hae merit. Until those facts are confirmed, however, holding off would be the best move for the Patriots in regards to this rare three-team trade proposal.
Add us as a preferred source on Google